Healthy Hot Cross Bun Recipes!

Olivia
It goes without saying you can’t have birthdays without cake, just like you can’t have Easter without hot cross buns. To get you into the Easter spirit, we have two delicious, yet nutritious hot cross bun recipes for you to devour over the long weekend. Try whipping up these gluten free buns topped with cashew cream frosting from Amy Crawford (The Holistic Ingredient) or perhaps our healthy hot cross buns filled with blueberries and drizzled with dark chocolate tickle your fancy. Once you’ve feasted on some chocolate (the healthy kind of course), these little buns of goodness will go down a treat!

GLUTEN FREE HOT CROSS BUNS

Preparation Time: 1 hour
Total Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
Servings: 15 serves

Ingredients:

• The Gluten-Free Flour Mix:
• 1 cup brown rice bran flour
• 1 cup white rice flour
• ¾ cup sweet sorghum flour
• ¾ cup tapioca flour
• 2 tsp. guar gum or xanthan gum
• For the buns:
• 3 ½ cups of gluten free flour mix (see above)
• 1 cup almond milk
• 1 cup dried fruit (we used ½ cup currants & ½ cup sultanas)
• ½ cup coconut sugar
• ¼ cup coconut oil
• 3 tbsp. cinnamon
• 2 tbsp. dry yeast
• 2 tbsp. flax meal
• 1 tsp. nutmeg
• 1/2 tsp. ground ginger
• 1/2 tsp. all spice
• Zest and juice of 2 oranges
• For the cashew cream cheese frosting:
• 1 cup cashews, soaked overnight
• 2 tbsp. Greek yoghurt
• 2 tbsp. rice malt syrup
• 1 tbsp. lemon juice

How to make it:

• In a small bowl, soak your dried fruit in enough warm water to submerge them.
• Place the almond milk into a medium sized saucepan and warm slowly over a low heat. Be sure not to boil the milk, you want it to be lukewarm. Add the yeast and coconut sugar to the saucepan. Set the saucepan aside and allow the yeast in the mixture to rise (be sure to use a large enough saucepan, otherwise the mixture will overflow – I speak from experience!).
• In another bowl, combine the gluten-free flour mix, flax meal, orange zest and juice, coconut oil and all the spices. Pour in the yeasty almond milk mixture, (which should be foamy by now). Using a high-powered blender, blend on medium speed until combined and the mixture has aerated. Drain the dried fruit and add to the mix, continue beating for another 2 minutes (note: in the absence of a blender you could also knead).
• Turn your dough into a clean bowl and cover with a tea towel, placing in a warm place (i.e. not your fridge!) for approximately 1 hour, allowing the yeast to rise in the mixture.
• Preheat your oven to 180°C. Line a 20cm x 30cm baking tray with baking paper. Using your hands, roll dough into balls and place side by side in the baking tray so that they are just touching.
• Brush the top of the balls with a little extra almond milk. Place the tray into the oven and bake for 20 minutes or until the tops are slightly golden. Remove from oven and allow to cool completely before applying the icing crosses.
• While the buns are cooking you can prepare the icing. Place the cashews, yoghurt, lemon juice and rice malt syrup in a blender or electric mixer and combine until smooth yet still thick enough not to be runny. Using a piping bag (or a snap lock bag with a small hole cut in the corner), pipe lines/crosses across the buns.

HEALTHY HOT CROSS BUNS WITH BLUEBERRIES & DARK CHOCOLATE

Prep time: 10 minutes

Total time: 30 minutes

Servings: Approx. 15 buns

 

Ingredients: 

• 3 cups whole spelt flour
• 1/2 cup rolled oats
• 2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 tsp salt
• 3 tbsp baking powder
• 1/3 cup dried blueberries
• 2 eggs (one to glaze)
• 1/4 cup coconut oil
• 2 tbsp honey
• 1 tsp vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste
• 1/2 cup-1 cup milk of choice
• 50g dark chocolate chopped
• 50g extra dark chocolate for crosses

How to make it:

• Add the flour, oats, cinnamon, salt and dried blueberries to a bowl. Sift in the baking powder. Stir well to combine.
• Then add one egg, honey and vanilla paste or extract, chopped dark chocolate and coconut oil, again stirring well to combine. 
• Add enough milk to make the mix form a sticky dough. 
• Preheat the oven to 180 degrees Celsius.
• Using floured hands, roll handfuls of bun mixture into balls and place onto a lined baking tray.
• Whisk the second egg well and then using a pastry brush, apply liberally over the top of each bun.
• Bake in the oven for approx. 12 minutes, or until golden brown. Allow to cool for 10 minutes.
• Temper the extra dark chocolate, and pour into a piping bag. Pipe the chocolate in a cross along the top of each bun.  
  http://www.movenourishbelieve.com/recipes/healthy-hot-cross-bun-recipes/

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  What healthy treats will you be making for Easter?